A shellfish diver looks at some locos, the flagship product of TURFs. Photo: Rodrigo Sánchez.

Ancud to become the hub of community-led conservation with the launch of the TURF-Reserves Academy

The initiative includes four days of hands-on modules and will end with a field visit to the Chepu TURF-Reserve.

| TURF-Reserves Academy | 6 Oct 2026

From Wednesday, October 7, to Saturday, October 10, the Ancud district will become the meeting point for community-led marine conservation in southern Chile, hosting the first in-person cycle and official launch of the TURF-Reserves Academy.

The initiative, jointly organized by Capital Azul Foundation and the Municipality of Ancud, with support from the GEF Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation Project, seeks to transfer lessons and practical tools to artisanal fishing organizations so they can implement and manage their own Voluntary Protection Zones within their TURFs (Territorial User Rights for Fisheries, known in Chile as AMERB), under the Benthic Law (Law No. 21,651).

Poster for the first edition of the TURF-Reserves Academy. By Guiselle Torres González.

The TURF-Reserves Academy builds on the experience Capital Azul has gained over 10 years of working with the TURF-Reserve model alongside various artisanal fishing groups, mainly five unions in the Valparaíso Region, the birthplace of this community-led marine conservation model, which aims not only to restore marine life but also to strengthen the resilience of coastal communities.

Although artisanal fishing organizations will be the main participants in the TURF-Reserves Academy, public institutions such as the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca), the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca) and the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP), as well as civil society organizations such as CECPAN, among others, will also take part, with the aim of strengthening the implementation of new TURF-Reserves.

“After a decade of experience co-creating TURF-Reserves with artisanal fishers in the Valparaíso and Los Ríos regions, coming to Ancud to launch the TURF-Reserves Academy, as part of scaling up this community-led marine conservation model, marks a historic milestone for Voluntary Protection Zones. We want to provide real capacities so that coastal communities themselves can lead the protection of their ecosystems under the legal figure now granted by the Benthic Law. We are convinced that the productivity of fishing coves and ocean conservation are not opposing paths, but two sides of the same coin for securing the livelihoods of future generations,” explained Rodrigo Sánchez, Executive Director of Capital Azul Foundation.

A loco finds shelter in the Ventanas TURF-Reserve. Photo: Rodrigo Sánchez Grez.

A comprehensive four-day program

The gathering will officially begin on Wednesday, October 7, with the official launch ceremony. This will be followed by learning sessions and hands-on workshops covering six key thematic modules: regulatory framework, biodiversity monitoring, communities and environmental education, coastal surveillance, sustainable local economies and financial sustainability.

The training cycle will end on Saturday, October 10, with a field day at the Chepu fishing cove. Participants will take a guided tour of the Chepu TURF-Reserve, a pioneer in the Los Lagos Region, attend the certificate ceremony and close the gathering by formally signing commitments to protect marine biodiversity.